


From Russia With Love

by ScreamQueenBee (screamqueenbee)



Series: Tales from the Check Out Aisle [1]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, in-universe media, trashy tabloid fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 07:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2572379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamqueenbee/pseuds/ScreamQueenBee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Tabloid's look at Bucky and Natasha's relationship</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Russia With Love

_From Russian With Love?_

_Ex-KGB Agent seen out and about with newly acquitted Winter Solider leaves public wondering about Cold War Scandal_

**_Cover Story_ **

_WAS AMERICA’S LONGEST SERVING POW SEDUCED BY SEXY RUSSIAN SPY?_

> _Romanoff and Barnes, seen above, share an intimate moment outside a Manhattan apartment complex without their seemingly ever present teammates._

                After all the excitement following the information dump of worldwide government secrets and the conclusion of the Winter Soldier Trial that’s had the world glued to every source of media they can get their hands on, one question still remains unanswered: What is the relationship between Russia’s most famous ex-pat and Captain America’s best friend?

                The files that the so-called Black Widow dumped onto the web are surprisingly sparse regarding her personal life before and during her career, whether that is by design or by accident isn’t clear. What is clear is the pattern of meetings between Romanoff and Barnes, then a series of events simply noted with stark black Xs. We now know that each of these X’s represents a cognitive recalibration session, explained by Barnes in his trial as “a thousand times worse than the worst thing someone could imagine,” the effect is somewhere between electro-shock therapy and a computer reboot command.         

                What prompted these recalibrations? Barnes’ testimony states that the majority of them were in response to memories coming back to him during missions, the reasons for the rest were sealed from public inquiry by the trial judge, which leaves this reporter wondering if they have anything to do with Natasha Romanoff, whose testimony was always sealed from public record and not televised because of “current SHIELD operations” that the Avenger is part of. The records that we do have from the Black Widow show the same marks of cognitive recalibration sessions along with proof that the infamous Widow deserves her title. She was married during her career to Alexi Shostakov, and the pair became the Soviet Regime’s darlings until Shostakov’s death in a training accident. Pictures from the state funeral show Romanoff, looking very Jackie O-esque, mourning her husband with a wedding band on her finger, and another on a chain around her neck.

                Was Bucky Barnes, reputed playboy of the Howling Commandos, involved with the Russian prima donna beauty, enough to propose marriage to her? The organization that they were both a part of, known enigmatically as _The Red Room,_ was frighteningly strict with regards to personal relationships within it. Is it possible that young Natalia Romanova, as she was called then, and The Winter Soldier developed a working relationship worthy of a Hot-For-Teacher _Lifetime_ movie? Was Barnes even conscious enough to realize that he was in a relationship with one of the deadliest women in history?

                All of this remains purely speculation, as neither Romanoff nor Barnes are speaking on the matter and inquiry sent to SHIELD and the Avengers PR Team have been sent back with the party line of “Any relationship, past or present, between Agents Romanoff and Barnes are not subject to discussion at this time” along with a cease and desist order. What is SHIELD hiding from the public? Could it be possible that the Winter Soldier is still fully operative within Bucky Barnes and Romanoff is acting as his handler?

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